My Life in France

I just started My Life in France by Julia Child. I took my bike and book to the Luxembourg Gardens, because it is a beautiful day.

I thank my good friend for giving me this book, it is exactly what I want to read right now. But not when I am hungry. So far it is her move to Paris with her husband from the US, and her quickly falling in love with the city. She is so optimistic and has a great sense of humor, and truly wants to learn about this new culture. So romantic. Also, her love for her husband is beautiful. This is why she wanted to learn to cook at start, so she could feed her husband all the wonderful foods he enjoyed.

This is the description of her first meal in France:

I closed my eyes and inhaled the rising perfume. Then I lifted a fork full of fish to my mouth, took a bite, and chewed slowly. The flesh of the sole was delicate, with a light but distinct taste of the ocean that blended marvelously with the browned butter. I chewed slowly and swallowed.

And it is reminding me so much of my dream to cook, to learn true French cooking. Man, I feel like Julie Powell right now. But I think I must put off seeing Julie/Julia until I am done reading this.

The new plan is a to get a good reputation as a food writer and then eventually get my own Alton Brown style cooking show. I love that man. These are my dreams people, these are my dreams.

My First Time Wasn't Great

I wasn't going to admit this, but I might as well since it turned out pretty well.

So I bought this bike, you see. I got it from a little second hand store right up the street. They aren't a bike shop or anything, so I wasn't expecting anything really fine tuned. Well there was a cute little one bike that I liked and that was one of the best there, so I bought it. The back brakes weren't great and it made some noises, but hey, it's a pretty simple machine, I can work out the kinks.

I rode to school on Tuesday with my new bike and a lot of courage. I mapped out a route that was quick and had bike paths and I was set. Please understand that the campus of NYU Paris is in the 16th arrondissement on the top of a pretty large hill. Not even a hill, but highlands. So once I cross the Seine (yeah the Eiffel Tower is just to my right), it is that final burst before the finish line. Well I stopped at maybe the steepest part of my journey to look at the map. I must turn left, uphill. So with all my might I SLAM down on the pedal to get started again...

My bike breaks, because that is happen when you are close to a destination and have a certain time you must be there. I take a quick look and I notice the chain is off. No big deal, I fix it and try to proceed. Then I notice the wheel is crooked and rubbing and very strangely off, but I don't know why. Well I was in a time crunch, so I walked my bike to school (while holding the back wheel off the ground) another 12 minutes.

The last two days I have left it at school, wondering how much it would be to get it fixed and where I would go. And hoping and hating it and wishing and sometimes regretting ever buying it.

Well today I took control. I folded my bike in half (yeah it does that) and took it to my friend's house who has a big tool box. I know how a bike works and once I went on a bike trip from the top to the bottom of Michigan in 9 days, so I can get the wheel off myself! Again, a bike is a simple machine and I am good with tools and I refuse to pay any more money.

Well, SUCCESS! I fixed my bike. My hands were dirty, I was sweaty, and I'm sure the bolts weren't happy, but it is done. I even tightened my back brakes, fixed my lights and a part of the petal that was making a strange noise. All I needed was a little elbow grease.

So then I rode home on my bike from my friend's house.

On another note, biking is tiring.

Nights Out

So I have been going out a fair amount at night, trying to find those places that suit me but won't force me to eat ramen for a week. There is talk about French people being mean or hating Americans, but that is simply not true. I have met SO many great Parisians while out at night. The only people who I find to be bitchy or seem entitled are other Americans who have been here for while. Isn't that funny? Are they trying to take on the stereotypical French attitude since they now live here?

Some of my favorite activities so far have been a boat party on the Seine, I wore a bow-tie and it was a hit. The French really love my bow-ties or "noeud-papillon" which translates to butterfly knot. There was an open air bar on the top and then two floors down a DJ and a hoppin' club.

Then there is La Pop-In. First of all, I think that name is hilarious, since it is in the neighborhood of Popincourt. Secondly, it's kind of a hip, cheap, dive bar. For my friend in New York, like Blue Gold Bar but twice the split into 4 levels, one being a downstairs dance club. And much more social.

I also end up at La Perle a lot, which is more a of a cafe/bar that spills out onto the street and has cool crowd, but a little older around 25-30. The other night when I was there a guy came up to me and told me he liked my look (another bow-tie) and asked me to be in scene that takes place in an art gallery in his movie. He said it is the last day of shooting, so there will be a wrap party after. I mean, it's not like I have too many commitments here in Paris, so yeah, I'll stand around and drink wine and look at art and then go to a party after. I just better remember what I wore that night and then wear the same thing, because I don't trust my sense of style that much...

Le Lardon Flu

I call it Lardon (Bacon) Flu because I forgot what pig is in french and I just haven't looked it up. Plus I see a lot more bacon throughout my week than live pigs.

H1N1 is serious business here at New York University Paris. In every one of our orientation meetings they have talked about it. I don't know how true this is, but I heard that the hype is kind of dying down in the US, but apparently that specualtion has made it to France. In every classroom inside the door there is antibacterial hand sanitizer. There are different trash cans with lids for gloves and masks. So is it still big in America? Honestly comment, want know.

And I wish this were a joke but the first day of french class the first word my teacher taught us was sneeze (éntenuer), followed by cough (tousser). Then she told us to not even think about coming to class if we did either of those things.

Then yesterday as I took a little nap, I found it really hard to take a sleep because I was sure I coming down with the symptoms. Every time I cough I worry.

The point of this post is to let you know that NYU Paris is good at making their students feel cared about, academically capable, and turning them into hypochondriacs.

Group Bath

So my camera has not been able to charge the entire time I have been here. I think it has something to do with the converter or I just broke the charger. So that sucks, I have been stealing pictures or taking them with my computer for the blog so far.

So this evening as I sat down in the bath with my computer playing music on the counter, I thought it might be nice if you would join me!

Also, I have tried the lavender scented purple toilet paper and it is actually a good texture. It makes the bathroom smell very much like a baby.

Happiness

Happiness because I love my apartment. Happiness because I got a bike. Baguette tradition happiness. Maybe a little to much wine happiness too often.

So pretty much we walk through two doors with codes to get into the courtyard, it is very well protected. Not to mention, the courtyard is almost entirely ours. We walk in our door pictured above, and up our private staircase to those second story windows you see.

There is one other door that might be residential in the courtyard, and another bike, but we have not really seen anyone. I have decided to believe that the other doors in the courtyard are some sort of racing auto parts supplier, but that is also maybe entirely my imagination. On the weekdays there are men in uniforms and they sometimes cart things out. They don't seem like drug dealers, but if they were this would be the perfect safe house.

The other night my roommates and I had about 6 friends over, they all brought a little something to eat or wine, we made pasta and just sat there at our little table in the courtyard for hours. Truly perfect. I hope it happens very often.

Yesterday I wanted to get my glasses fixed and buy a bike, so I got out my old French book and made sure I knew everything I would need for those interactions. Then when I got to the glasses store, he wanted to speak English! So i learned "petit tournevis" (little screwdriver) for nothing...

Then there is my bike! Right around the corner is a second-hand store that had a bunch outside. I tested a lot out, and this one was not only in the best condition, but I think it is cute. The seat is white = double cute. I actually have not ridden it yet, I need to get a lock and a helmet before that can happen. Safety first for Mr. Evan!

That is the bell, it is a froggy bell.

That is cute Evy that has nothing to do with this post. See her drool!?

Jardin du Luxembourg

As I was ordering my noix de coco (coconut) scoop of ice cream, 2 little boys were tormenting the 3 girls also buying snacks. They were all laughing and yelling in French and running around and loving every minute. When I started to walk back towards the fountain I was the happiest guy in Paris. The sun was out, the perfect temperature, there was laughter and happiness and general contentedness everywhere around me.

The Luxembourg Gardens is one of my favorite places in Paris. It is perfectly manicured with beautiful flowers, a palace and potted palm trees (?!). The park is pretty large, with so many activities. It is what a park should be: pony rides, playgrounds, carousel, old men playing boules, tennis courts, statues, fountains and flowers.

It seems so very friendly, and it allows for you to sit among the trees if you like, go to the children's play areas, or sit down at a little cafe in the park. Something for everyone. The park is filled with these olive green chairs that anyone can take to their preferred place to sit and read or talk or people watch. Absolutely perfect. See these people enjoying them above?

I made a friend who was a duck by feeding her a little bit of my ice cream cone. And as I tossed more in, I noticed fish swimming up from the bottom! Strange to have so many fish in a man made fountain, especially when one can't really see them most of the time. Carp, but fish nonetheless.

And this place is a 5 minute walk from my house. I HAVE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS WEATHER WHILE I STILL HAVE IT.

Today was also our placement exams for our preliminary French course for the next two weeks. At the metro station on the way there this morning I was running a little behind and then I had no change to buy a ticket. I had to run into a pharmacy and buy the cheapest thing so I could break a ten euro bill. So now I have a new toothbrush. The end has a funny toothpick thing on it. Like a rubber cone with a very pointy end.

Anyway, I knew I was either going to be devastated or surprise myself on the test, and luckily it was the latter. I found the listening portion incredibly easy, but only because the woman spoke slowly and repeated it all again and again. Grammar was harder, I forget the little things (les, des, aux, leur, de, du) that are so important. I was able to sort of figure out the answers even if I couldn't always understand what they were saying, so then for one section I kind of gave up because I didn't want to be in a French class that was above my level. I need to review and relearn these first two weeks. For an essay question, which was "How did you feel about the points of view in the article you just read?" I wrote in French "I didn't understand the article enough to have an opinion."

In other news, I bought lavendar scented toilet paper on accident. It is my own fault for wanting purple TP, I should have figured color was not the only selling point. I have not yet used it, but I am a little skeptical for many reasons. One being that I hate those tissues with lotion in them and I am fearful of the paper having a similar texture. Plus I think using scented toilet paper implies that I am trying to cover up a stinky butt. I just want to say that I am in no way self-conscience of my bum, it is in no way smellier than any other average Joe. I see no need for scented toilet paper because something weird is going on anyway if there is a nose close enough to my butt to enjoy the perfume. So that's that folks. Bon weekend!

NYU Paris

Yesterday was our first day of "school." It included picking up a packet with our ID at the place everyone is being temporarily housed, getting a schedule of meetings this week, and the faculty telling us to be careful of swine flu and getting drunk in public, first in French and then in English.

This morning we had to meet at 10am at the school (cute, pictured here), the meeting was very similar, but smaller and with two very entertaining and funny young ladies showing us a powerpoint. They did give us wine tips and we were able to ask all those questions we have had for so long. Like if we can receive packages at our school mailboxes, which we can. So send them to me! Evan Watkins - NYU Paris, 56 Rue de Passy, Paris 75016 France!

I have never been so excited to start school (that may not be true, I just have a terrible memory), but it is still like we are skirting around it. Friday we take a language placement test, then the next two weeks is only French class for 2 weeks and activities/tours at night. After that we start real classes. Strange, but obviously structured like that for good reason and I trust it.

And to be honest, outside of Playwrights Horizons Theater School, I have never felt really cared about so much at NYU. They do a good job here, I think it has to do with the small group and their hope for a pleasant and full experience for us all. I already signed up for a free day-trip to Vaux-le-Vicomte with a 4 course meal included, and a ghost story tour of Montmarte. I am a big fan of planned communal events!

So I found independent housing with my roommates and moved in yesterday. I UNPACKED immediately. I have been in a suitcase for 4 weeks! Truly terrible and not a way that I can live. I like my apartment, it is very cute and in a really great area. The only thing is that I still have to fashion myself up a desk so I can be super studious this semester!